


Stories of Women

by A_Writing_Pen



Category: Rurouni Kenshin
Genre: women of ruroken week 2016
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-12
Updated: 2016-03-12
Packaged: 2018-05-26 07:58:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6230185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_Writing_Pen/pseuds/A_Writing_Pen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Collect of drabbles written for Women of Ruroken Week 2016</p>
<p>Prompts: <br/>Day 1: Kaoru Kamiya - Independence; Living independently doesn't mean living alone.<br/>Day 2: Megumi Takani - Atonement; After years, Megumi wonders if her atonement has been enough.<br/>Day 5: Tomoe Yukishiro - Forgiveness; For Tomoe, forgiving Enishi has always been a process in the making.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Over the years Megumi had treated countless patients, but in the back of her mind, when she was laying in her own sick bed, she wondered if it was enough. Sai, her apprentice now took care of her and kept up the practice Megumi had established in Aizu.

“Please, drink this tea Takani-sensei.” Sai said, setting the small tray with the tea kettle and cups on the small table next to Megumi’s sick bed.

“I don’t know how many times I’ve told you not to call me that.”

“Yes, Takani-sensei.” She said, and Megumi smiled. That was their usual banter, and frankly she found the stubborn streak in the girl wonderfully familiar. She took a sip of the tea.

“This is almost as bitter as the tea someone else I know makes.” It wasn’t a fair assessment, Kaoru’s tea had improved years ago along with most of her cooking skills. Last time she had visited, Kaoru had taught herself how to make one of the western style pastries she was so fond of, and while Megumi would never admit it to her, it was nearly identical to ones sold in the special import stores.

“I thought it fit your personality better this way.”

“Then you should have started with poison, though this may not be far off.”

Back and forth they went, reminding her of days spent at a small dojo with a vagabond, kendo instructor, a boy, and a wise-ass. Sometimes she ached for those days, others she was content with everything she had built around her. When she finished her tea, Sai took the empty cup away.

For the past 40 years, Megumi had stayed in Aizu, setting up her own clinic and working with as many patients as she could. It was a struggle, especially in the beginning. Few at first were willing to trust a female doctor with a mysterious past, but she was used to people judging her prematurely and she proved herself to be more stubborn than their prejudices. She had forgone marriage and never had children of her own, but she didn’t care even when her own patients tried to insult her by calling her a wasted spinster. The only part that stung was that she was never able to find her family after all these years.

Sai returned this time with the medicine in hand that Megumi always found bitter. She took the medicine with a few sharp comments which Sai simply ignored.

“A letter arrived for you today.” Sai said.

“Let me see it.” Megumi took the letter.

In the five years since Kenshin’s death, Megumi and Kaoru had kept in more frequent correspondence via letter. From Kaoru, Megumi was able to keep up to date with the happenings of their friends’ circle and changes in Tokyo. Yahiko and Tsubame were expecting their next grandchild, Misao had turned the Aoiya into a chain and had fully integrated the roles of spymaster and business woman, and Sanosuke was actually considering settling but hadn’t said where.

To no surprise, Kaoru again threatened in her letter to ride up to Aizu and wait outside her door until Megumi agreed to see her. There was only so long Megumi could put off telling her that she was ill; this year she had already missed the cherry blossom viewing party she and Kenshin had made a tradition.

“You seem more deeply in thought than usual, Takani-sensei.” Sai said.

“Your handwriting is good enough to write a letter?”

“I have been writing prescriptions for years without anyone dying.”

“Because I always check up on them.”

Perhaps it was time to let Kaoru see her. She hadn’t been able to treat patients directly in some time and had to resign herself to re-examining Sai’s orders or to consult on particularly difficult cases. Her own declining health didn’t keep her from mixing medicines or running Sai ragged on her better days, but she knew the inevitable was on its way. She would have to settle for her life’s work, dedicating all of her energy to the lives she had to save to be enough to atone for the lives she took.

Once Sai had had set up the writing desk and prepared the ink and parchment, Megumi began to dictate her letter.

“Dear Kaoru,” she started.

Perhaps she could never fully atone, but she would keep trying until her body failed her.


	2. Independence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Living independently doesn't mean living alone.

“She said she didn’t need a man once her father died, but look at all those strange men living at her house.”

“What’s worse is that I heard one of them left her. There was some type of dispute, even the police were involved. I guess he just got fed up with it and left. She feel to pieces afterwards.”

“I would be ashamed to leave my house after something like that.”

Kaoru heard the two women gossiping behind her in the theatre before the show started. She had always heard people gossiping, most of the time she simply ignored it, but over the past few months it had become viscous. With all the incidents that had happened, the fake Battousai incident, the attacks on her school, and her sudden departure and return from Kyoto without telling anyone, certainly drew attention to her, and had it not been herself Kaoru would most likely be gossiping with Tae about it. But this, the speculation on the happenings of her home and even her character, because that was the underlying implication underneath, felt belittling.

“I don’t understand her. First she’s so stubborn about living by herself and teaching at her school, but her father wasn’t dead a few months before she started letting that old codger stay at her home.”

“You can’t blame her for being soft-hearted, and even a bit lonely, but she is certainly too naïve. Look what happened, I heard he was involved in that scandal to take her property.”

“And as soon as that was settled she took in more lodgers. She doesn’t learn her lesson.”

“Try as she might, she can’t do it. It’s just too much for a young girl to live on her own and support herself.”

The show was already running late and it felt like ages passed, even though it was only a few minutes. The group was with her, Sano, Kenshin, Yahiko, and even Megumi, on this rare occasion she was free from her work at the clinic. Actually, Dr. Gensai had helped her, he implored that she should take a break and only when he said he had no patients for the day that Megumi went. When she looked at Megumi, who sat next to her, she knew that she could hear them.

“Ignore them,” Megumi said, “don’t let a minor thing like that distract you,” and she looked back at the stage as if she knew it would start at her beckoning. It occurred to Kaoru that Megumi probably had endured harsher comments, both behind her back and to her face.

Kaoru was the first to admit that she was lonely after her father died; she was without family and found herself alone with her grief. Trusting in Kihei was a mistake and may have shown she was naïve, but she didn’t let him stay because she was desperate for someone to cling to. She simply felt that it was right and while he may have betrayed her the sentiment wasn’t wrong. After all, she wouldn’t have her current family otherwise.

Sanosuke and Yahiko were squabbling over who should grab the last serving on the plate of food they shared, while Kenshin was trying to calm both parties. Kaoru didn’t allow all of these people to stay with her because of some deficiency on her own part, she could still be living alone if she wanted, but living independently didn’t mean living in isolation. She choose to let these strangers live with her and in the process they became her family.

The women behind her kept gossiping, but she didn’t hear a word they said. Instead she laughed as Sano swiped the last bit of food and stuffed in his mouth to Yahiko’s horror. The women could well have been gossiping about her long after, but the performance started at last.


	3. Forgiveness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For Tomoe, forgiving Enishi has always been a process in the making.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author Note: I scrapped my original idea for today’s prompt so this might seem a little rushed and wonky, but here goes. While Tomoe might be highly reserved, I don’t think she was always the calm near-saintly maternal figure Enishi recalled (we know he’s not the most reliable narrator). Considering that she had to take care of an infant when she was just a child and after losing her mother, I’m pretty sure there were some times that she was short with him.
> 
> I’ve just always felt that the way Enishi clung to her memory and warped it was horrifying, and I feel like Tomoe may have felt that way as well if she ever knew.

For all of Tomoe’s efforts, Enishi would not stop wailing. Now that he was older and able to walk on his own, instead of strapped to her back as when he was an infant, Enishi followed her everywhere. Including on the few occasions when she was free to go to the market herself.

She had asked him just once, to stay at home with their father since it would be easier for her to buy their groceries without constantly watching out for whatever Enishi was up to. But he refused. At the suggestion he threw himself into a tantrum, scrunching his face until it was red and puffy from the effort. He would wake father if he continued to wail like that and she would be the one in trouble for it.

“I’ll only be gone for a few hours. Please, be quiet.” She said, hearing her own voice grow tight and angry.

He only wailed harder, then threw himself onto the floor. Enishi was inconsolable when he reached this stage. Every time she wanted a moment to herself, he was either following behind her or his needs took immediate attention. All she wanted was to go to the market by herself, but now she would have to spend the rest of the day trying calm him.

She wanted her mother back more than anything, as Tomoe found herself missing her more often, and for a moment, she thought it was best to have her back even if it meant she didn’t have a brother.

A knock rang from one of the beams of the house and she turned to so Akira standing there, uncertain of how to approach the scene.

“Ano, I am sorry to interrupt…” He started, standing unsure of what to do, growing more uncertain as she looked back at him, black eyes unreadable. He was supposed to walk with her, but walking in on a moment that felt so private and domestic left him feeling like an invader. Enishi didn’t care who arrived and wailed on.

“You can go with me to the market.” She said, “If Kiyosato-san agrees.” She looked back at Akira, who promptly looked away from her stare.

“If he would like.” he said, “and there is no need to be so formal.”

He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, still uncertain under her gaze. Steadily, Enishi stopped crying, his voice hoarse and weak as he calmed his breathing. Eyes still red a dewy, he looked up at her and smiled as if his crying hadn’t affected him at all.

 

 

She was stunned to see Enishi walk into their small home in Otsu following behind Kenshin. Kenshin was rubbing his hand, hiding a bite marked that looked suspiciously like human teeth, but she was too taken by seeing her brother to connect the two at the moment. The scene wasn’t right. She never imagined seeing the two of them in the same room, and the expression on Enishi’s face, of hate and rage, froze her where she stood.

When Enishi saw her, his dower expression brightened as he called her name. Tomoe couldn’t keep up, when he ran to her embracing her in a hug, she could have fallen over.

“Sister!” he called.

Tomoe could see the question on Kenshin’s face and his hesitation to ask. She placed her hands on Enishi’s shoulders and urged him to turn around so she could introduce him.

“This is my brother, Enishi.” She said, but she knew that wasn’t enough of an answer, but she had questions of her own.

Kenshin nodded, and obliged them without her asking as he walked to the door.

“I’ll give you both some time to catch up.” He said, then excused himself.

The wide smile on Enishi’s face never left once Kenshin was gone, and took on a dark gleam.

“What are you doing here Enishi? You should be with father.”

“The moment we’ve waited for has arrived.” He said and she knew the wicked look was not her imagination.

“You won’t have to suffer any longer,” He said. “Battousai will be dead and we can both go home.”

She felt a pang of guilt in her heart, like acid destroying from the inside-out. The same as when she let Akira die, now she had dragged her brother through the same blood soaked path she had walked willingly. She should have known he would follow her anywhere.

“Enishi, go home.” She said, her voice stern but not harsh, “Forget all about this. You’re the last of the family.”

“I don’t care about the family, I want to be with you.”

“I said go home.” She said.

The tears started to well up like they always did, but what was worse this time was the way he gnashed his teach together in rage. There were tears in his eyes, but she saw hatred not despair.

“If only he never existed.” He said.

He ran out of the room before she could say anything else.

 

 

She still saw Enishi’s face when she wrote in her diary. As a child, he had always been willful, but she couldn’t pinpoint where the change had been, where the hate came from. Sometime during her absence it must have happened, but another part of her wondered if it had been there all along. The only answer she could come up with was the one she always returned to; it was her fault, either because she left without a thought what her actions would cause, or how she had taken care of him all those years, the times she was short with him or was overindulgent and let him become spoiled and unstable.

In the pages of her diary she confessed what she had begun to feel and fear. She had forgiven Kenshin, much as she tried to not to, for what he had done. She even forgave Akira, having examined her own heart closely enough to find the small hidden corner where she resented him for even thinking of leaving, and most shameful of all, in the small peace she had in Otsu she had begun to forgive herself. Perhaps it was worse that way, she had charted a course that she could not change and if she was doomed to lead Kenshin to his death then the least she could do was follow through with conviction, not this half-hearted mulling.

Her brush stopped as she lost track of her words. Enishi’s face flashed through her mind. If his passions could throw him into such a destructive mission that lead him to follow in her footsteps, what could he do once this was all over? He had clung to her as a child because he had known no other mother and that hardly his fault even if she at times felt smothered by him. She had never prepared him for an existence without her, Tomoe realized. So was the hatred she saw in him her own making?

Kenshin returned and she hid the diary away in a frenzy, more flustered than she had ever been to hide away the book. She was unable to record her last lingering thought, that, in some form another, she may have to spend the rest of her existence finding a way to forgive her brother if his passions took over after a tragic outcome, and it horrified her.


End file.
